3D Print Pricing Calculator

3D printing has hidden costs: machine wear, electricity, failed prints and post-processing. Enter your material, machine and labour costs to get a price that actually covers the print — not just the plastic.

Material price per kg (or L)

Material used (grams or ml)

Machine hours

Machine cost per hour

Electricity cost per hour

Operator labour time (hours)

Operator hourly rate

Post-processing cost

Packaging

Failure percentagePrints that fail and can't be sold

Selling / payment feeEnter the fees charged by your own selling or payment channel.

Fixed selling fee

Target profit margin

Recommended price

$34.60

Targets 30.0% profit margin

Do not sell below

$24.22

Break-even after costs & fees (zero profit)

Profitability breakdown

Labour cost$10.00

Base production cost$21.80

Waste-adjusted cost$24.22

Loaded cost (your floor)$24.22

Selling fees at this price$0.00

Profit per unit$10.38

Profit margin30.0%

Markup over loaded cost42.9%

Effective hourly earnings$20.76

Material cost$1.50

Machine cost$6.00

Electricity cost$0.80

Price ladder

Compare your recommended price across target margins.

Target margin	Selling price	Profit / unit	Markup	Hourly earnings
20%	$30.28	$6.06	25.0%	$12.11
30%	$34.60	$10.38	42.9%	$20.76
40%	$40.37	$16.15	66.7%	$32.30
50%	$48.44	$24.22	100.0%	$48.44

Custom margin%

Discount floor

Based on your recommended retail price of $34.60.

Max discount before break-even30.0%

Max discount preserving target margin0%

Profit at 10% discount$6.92

Profit at 20% discount$3.46

Profit at 30% discount$0.00

Any discount below the recommended price reduces your margin below target. Fixed business costs you have not entered here (insurance, software, etc.) are not captured by this calculator.

The formula

recommended price = (loaded cost + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − selling fee % − target margin %)

Material cost comes from price-per-kg times grams used. Machine hours times machine and electricity rates, plus post-processing, are variable costs. Operator time is labour. A failure percentage covers prints that don't come out. The formula solves for a price after fees and margin.

Worked example

Filament at $25/kg, 60g used. 4h machine at $1.50/h, electricity at $0.20/h, post-processing $2, 0.5h operator at $20 = $10.00, packaging $1.50, failure 10%. Base cost = $21.80; waste-adjusted = $24.22. With a 6.5% fee and 30% margin, the recommended price = $38.62.

Related calculators

Handmade Pricing Calculator Profit Margin Calculator Custom Order Quote Builder

Frequently asked questions

How do I price 3D printed parts?⌄

Cost the filament or resin, the machine hours (including wear/depreciation), electricity, your operator time, post-processing and packaging, plus a failure allowance for bad prints. Sellers who price only the plastic can lose money on machine time.

What should machine cost per hour be?⌄

There's no single right number — estimate it from your machine's purchase price, expected lifespan and maintenance, spread across the hours you expect to print. Enter your own figure rather than an assumption.

How do I handle failed prints?⌄

Use the failure percentage. If one in ten prints fails, set it to 10% — the cost of failed material and time gets spread across successful prints.

Should I charge for electricity?⌄

Yes. Multiply your printer's wattage by hours and your electricity rate, or estimate a per-hour cost. It's small per print but real.